Colostomy belt



May 28, 1935.

-M. A. BOWMAN COLOSTOMY BELT Filed Dec. 26, 1931 Patented May 28, 1935UNITED STATES 2,002,931) V COLOSTOMY-BELT 7 Myrtle A. Bowman, Rochester,Minn.- Application December 26, 1931, Serial No 5589.388

8 Claims. (oi-128.483)" 1 e Figure 4 illustrates the belt open andlaidout My invention relates to a colostomy belt for use-by persons whohave had a colostomy operation so that the belt may be worn toprotectthe wearer and to provide a means for a support for the colostomy.

My'colostomy belt is designed to lie normallyfiat against the abdomen ofthe wearer with a pocket portion which is reinforced about the margin ofthe same and having a central portion adapted to expand and contract toshape the same to the body and to permit the same to expandto receivefecal matter into the pocket without draining from the belt or pocketwhile the same is being worn or in use.

It is important that the colostomy belt lie as fiat and close to thebody as possible so as not to be bulky or add materially to thethickness of the clothing over the body ofthe wearer. Therefore mycolostomy belt has a material advantage over others which have beendesigned for use heretofore or over other appliances or medical beltsused for'colostomies. h

It is important that the pocket of my colostomy belt be removablysupported on the-body of the belt and when in operative position that itis smooth and held without wrinkling to the body of the belt whichsupports the pocket. The pocket -and-the belt are flexible in thecentral portion of'the pocket while the outer marginal edge of thepocket is reinforced to provide a strong holding means which lies firmlyagainst the body of the wearer. This holds the colostomy pocket so thatit can be worn flat over the abdomen of the wearer and the pocket whichis made of a pure grade of rubber or other suitable moisture proofmaterial, may be changed readily or may be replaced by a new pocketwhenever it is desired;

These features and other detailswill be more fully described and setforth in the specification and claims. a

In the drawing forming a part of this specification virtually flat.

Figure 5 ure 4. V

Figure 6 is a detailshowing another form of attaching the'colostomy'pocket to the body of the belt proper.v I 7 ThecolostomybeltA is provided. with a body portion I0 formed of webbing orother suitable flexible material; which may be of a woven-type with areinforced body portionladapted ,to 'fit about the body. Thefrontportion H of the'belt A is considerably wider than the rear portion12, so as to' provide a widerportion extending over the abdomen. Therear portion [2 may be provided' with lacing l3 and an overlapping; flapH on the inside which protects the body from the lacing." This lacingpermits the belt to beadjusted within certain limits to different sizes,so as to, fit the abdomen. v

The belt A is in a band-like formation so as to extend about the bodyofthe wearer andby shaping the same with the wider portion H at the frontand the narrower portion [2 at the back, the belt A will fit around thebody withthe narrow portion over the small of' the back, and the widerportion held in position over the abdomen. It is desirable to form thebelt Ain a manner so that it may be used for the right or left side andusually the belts should be designated as 'for which side it is to beused. However, the colostomy may be positionedsomewhat centrally of theabdomen and then the belt can be'adju'stedac- 'cOrdingIyLf The bodyportion IO of the belt may be formed of reinforced elastic material sothat it willgive to the shape of the body and will also be held snuglyto the same when on the wearer and may ing'portions' are not in anysense a rigid or stay portion, but are flexible as textile elastic ma-,terial is made so as to fit closely to the body.

- Thebelt A is provided with ends l6 and I1 which are adapted to be heldby suitable fasteners l8 to close the belt over thef' abdomen. Thefasteners I8 may be of any suitable nature, such as snap fasteners, andare anchored in the reinforced ends IB and I1.

, The colostomy belt A is provided with a fecal pocket B, made of pure,thin rubber sheathing,

is a section rr-the line 5-5 of Figor other suitable material, which isformed of a similar shape as one side of the front of the body I of thebelt A and is sufllciently loose to stretch to fit the body of thewearer when the belt. A is on the body. The pocket B is provided withmarginal reinforcing strips l9 to provide a marginal binding for therubber sheathing 20 to make the pocket B with a marginal reinforced edgewhich is of a flat nature so as to lie fiat with the body portion of thebelt A. The marginal reinforcing of the pocket B may extend entirelyabout the pocket and the thickness of these strips is just sufficient toprovide a shoulder-like portion 2| extending marginally around theentire pocket B or along the longitudinal edges of the pocket. Thisperforms the important function of providing a slight offset along theedge of the pocket i when the same is worn against the abdomen, so. thatno leakage or seepage will take place in wearing the colostomy belt Aover, the colostomy.

This is important because the nature of this structure of the pocket Bprovides a means of forming a colostomy belt of a very desirable naturehaving all of the advantages of fittingclosely to the body and not beingbulky or uncomfortable to wear. In fact, I have foundthat the wearers ofmy belts find them to be so comfortable that they hardly realize thatthey have them on after nre" 6, by means of suitable lacing 24 extendingthrough openings 25 formed in the marginal edge of the body) where thepocket B fits and in the marginal reinforced edge IQ of the pocket B. I

In this manner I provide a colostomy belt A wherein the water proofportion of the belt which forms the pocket vB may be readily ra moyed orreplaced 'andfyet having .a fiat thin .nature, fitting closely to thebody and providing a means 'of protecting the [wearer over the colostomyso, that. the greatest comfort .may be affordedto the wearer under theseconditions. The'pocket B mayexpand centrally thereOL to provide areceiving meansforffecal matter, and

-the'fact thatlthe body I0 of the' belt A is of an elastic materialpermits, the same toexp'and at the desired point or centrally of thepocket .13.

The remainder of the belt lies flat and firm to the body in a verydesirablemanner.

In accordance with the patent statutes I have described the principlesof my colostomy blt'and while I have'illustrated a. particular form andconstruction thereof, I desire to have fit" understood that, the same isonly illustrativeof the best embodiment and that the invention should beinterpreted within the scope ofthe following claims.

' Iclaiml v V a 1 A'colostomy belt including,a bandelikebody portion,having'means for closing the same over the abdomen. of the wearer, anarrowrear p'qr tion adapted to'iitjover the small of the back, the bodyof said belt having an elastic expandable ,natura'a detachable moistureproof sheet' 'like pocket extending over aportion of theinner face edgeformed onsaidpocket.

of said belt, having marginal reinforcing slightly less flexible thansaid belt body thereabout to provide a colostomy pocket therein andmeans loosely connecting said pocket to saidbelt.

2. A colostomy belt including, a band-like body portion having a narrowportion at the rear and a wider abdominal portion in the front, meansfor securing the ends of said belt together, a removable colostomyrubber sheet-like pocket supported entirely extending over the innersurface of said belt and foldable attaching means on said pocket forsecuring said pocket to said body portion.

3. A colostomy belt including, a band-like body portion, a removablemoisture proof colostomy pocket held extending over a portion of theinner surface of said belt, and means loosely connect- ;ing said pocketto said belt the central portion of said pocket and the body of saidbelt being formed of an elastic material and a less flexible 4. Acolostomy belt comprising, .an abdominal band-like body, a flexibleremovable moisture proof sheet-like colostomy pocket, means for sup,-

porting the same, and less flexible marginal reinforcing meansextendingabout said pocket to strengthen and to provide a shoulder about themargin of said pocket. I I

5. A colostomy belt adapted to lie flat over the abdomen of the wearerhaving a band-like body portion formed. of elastic material, asheet-like elastic colostomy pocket formed of moistureproof material,means for loosely supporting said pocketrernovable to the innersurfaceof said body, and marginalreinforcing means extending about saidpocket having an elastic nature with a greater resistanceagainststretching than the sheet-like body of said pocket to permitthebody of said pocket to expand freely whilethe margin will expand onlyunder greater force, thereby.

portion, and a flat flexible resilient water proof removable colostomypocket carried by said belt.

7. A colostomy belt including, a band-like body adapted to encircle thebody of the wearenmeans for adjusting the length of said body, means fordetachably securing the ends thereof separate from said adjusting means,a detachable moisture proof flexible sheet-like colostomy pocket adaptedto lie normally flat with said body secured to overlie a portionof theinner surface of said body and means on said pocket securable to theouter side of said body for holding said pocket to said body.

8. A colostomy belt havinga nature to lie normally flat against theabdomen of the .wearer, a removable moisture proof sheet-like colostomypocketextending entirely on the inner surface

